BOX SCORE
Wolves-Jazz Recap
NBA Postgame Quotes
Minnesota vs. Utah
March 30, 2008 @ Target Center
MINNESOTA 110
Utah 103
Minnesota Coach Randy Wittman:
"This was a game down the stretch where we made plays. We made big baskets, made hustle plays. We came out of a scrum on the floor over there in the far corner, I think Kirk came out of there with it. Those are plays that win games. That one didn't even produce a basket for Kirk, (but) we got the ball back out... That was being smart. Knowing time and score is huge in the last part of the game. We did that and then we got a three-point play. Kirk was great. Again, I think that matchup we could get with Matt Harpring is a good matchup for him, and he did a good job of that and stayed aggressive."
"I thought Corey coming in had a really big game. That is as aggressive and under control in his aggression that he's been, and seven rebounds along with that. We got almost seven or eight guys with double figures, one with nine and the other with eight, balanced scoring. What that tells me is that they tried to take something out, and we were willing passers and we executed and made plays."
"They were making plays, too. I thought Brewer hit a couple big shots, Williams hit a big shot, but we answered them right back. Ryan coming in off the bench, we got the ball to him and he attacked the goal a couple of times. Rashad was really good. We got them into a situation at the end where they had to start to double Rashad on pick-and-rolls, which now opened up Ryan and Al because they were trying to get the ball out of Shaddy's hands. I thought Marko was good down the stretch and kept us in our offense and kept us under control. Like we've said, we're learning, and learning that you have to step up and make plays, and we did that tonight."
"We got a little lucky there (Utah's missed three-pointers), no question, but we had to take away the Williams and Boozer pick-and-rolls. That's the number one, you give them dunks, so we jammed the paint a couple of times and if (Korver) made one we would've had to make an adjustment, but he didn't. That's part of making plays at the end and we didn't have to make that adjustment. We could jam the paint up, which I thought we did a pretty good job of tonight with Williams. We didn't give Williams a lot of freedom in the paint. He saw bodies and obviously if he makes shots you have to make the adjustment."
Minnesota Guard Marko Jaric:
"Utah is definitely one of the top teams in the NBA right now and they're fighting desperately for a top playoff spot. We knew we had to be mentally prepared because it was going to be a tough game. They play very physical and it was 48 minutes of a really physical and tough game. But we responded and won the game."
"We moved the ball well and we played defense. Every time we play good defense, it helps our offense and allows us to score some easy baskets and that opens up the offense. Every time we play good defense, we score much more easily... It was one of our best overall. We played good defense and that's definitely encouraging."
"They changed the lineup at the last second. We knew about Okur, but we didn't know about Kirilenko. They're definitely a very deep team and whoever steps in could definitely hurt us."
Minnesota Guard Rashad McCants:
"I wouldn't say it was a bad defensive game. We're two offensive, good shooting teams. They hit shots, but for the most part, when we needed stops we got them, and that's how we got up."
"Coach Wittman saw the adjustment, and we have plays and counters. When guys make adjustments, we have enough talented guys to make shots and make plays, and that's what we did down the stretch... It shows the maturity of the team as far as being here before. We've been up, we've been tied, we've lost leads, and it's just all about what we have to do to execute and keep the leads and get the win."
Minnesota Forward Kirk Snyder:
"That's what it's about. I was trying to pick my spots and I know this team has a history at the end of games and I saved my energy. Toward the last couple of minutes I tried to take hold of the game and start rebounding and doing the little things that win ballgames. It's just about doing the little things, so in the last couple of minutes I just wanted to save my energy and try to win the ballgame. All the numbers don't really matter, it's just about winning."
"Hopefully they are (taking the Wolves seriously). That's what I've tried to bring to the team and just to change the atmosphere of winning and having the opportunity to go out every night and compete. It's basketball. Any team can go out and win on any given night. That's the fun in it and that's what fans go crazy about."
"Out of the corner of my eye, I saw Boozer under the rim and he was out of the restricted area, so I pulled it back out. But if he was inside of the rim a little bit more, I would have attacked the rim and tried to dunk it."
Utah Coach Jerry Sloan:
"It was the same thing (as the Feb. 26 game), they came out and we couldn't stop them. We had a difficult time stopping them. They got on top of the basket and it seemed like way too easy for us to deal with. It seemed like whatever ways they wanted to go, they got to the basket."
"We never could come up with the ball. We turned the ball over 18 times for 20 points. You have to give them credit for what they did. They came out and knocked us around like they did the last time and got after us really good. We had a tough time standing up to it and that is why we turned the ball over a few times."
"We are not as good a team without two of our starters, there is not question about that, to be honest about it. That is what other guys get paid for and we still have to try and play the same way. We can't change our whole philosophy of how we play just because we are missing a couple of guys out of the lineup. You have to execute... We were really, really soft trying to get the ball and they knew it and they just hammered us. I think you have to give them a lot of credit."
"It is a great lesson for people to see when you stay within what you are trying to do. They kept executing, they kept running their plays, they kept running them hard, they kept setting screens, and this is what we have always said is important for us. But we came out sort of lethargic and really never did get into a rhythm. We had one or two plays where we set great screens and we got layups. Those are the things you can't just do once in a while and expect to win games. You have to set a stage for how you want to play... We were 1-for-12 shooting three-point shots. We looked like we were trying to prove that we could make them, when in essence inside shots might have helped us."
Utah Guard Deron Williams:
"There were a lot of plays where they were on the floor and we were just reaching for the ball, and that can't happen. It seemed like they wanted the game more than us. It's a game I thought we would have come out better for, considering the circumstances and what we're fighting for right now -- we're just a couple games back of first place. They did beat us here a couple weeks ago pretty bad. I can't put my finger on it. I wish I could, but we've just got to move on and worry about tomorrow."
"They got hot. They outhustled us and outrebounded us pretty much the whole night. It hurts a lot. This is a game we've got to have, a team that's not playing for the playoffs, and they're definitely dangerous. They play great basketball. You've got to take your hat off to them. They're a young team but they're still executing, they're still running their things. They get the ball down low to Jefferson and let everything else work off of him. They do it good."
"It's definitely been frustrating all year. We've had some pretty bad losses on the road. It seems like we don't have the same energy, same intensity that we do at home on the road... We've got to win on the road in the playoffs."
Utah Forward Matt Harpring:
"We had a couple guys out tonight. I thought they played pretty well. They made some shots again. The last game we played them at home, it seemed like they made some shots. If they played like this every night, then I don't think they would have the record they have. You've just got to give them credit. They played well... I felt like we were there. We've just got to get a couple stops. I think they did a pretty good job of making shots again, just like they did the last time we played them down the stretch."
"I think our energy at home is great. It just doesn't seem like we can get the same on the road, for whatever reason. I don't know. It's kind of been like this all year... This is definitely one that's going to hurt us, but there's nothing we can do about it now. We've got to regroup and focus on tomorrow night."
"We knew that they were going to come out and play hard. They played hard against us last time. For whatever reason, they play pretty good against us. But this was a game that is one of those I think we will look back on, just like a few other ones this year that we said we should have had."
Utah Forward Carlos Boozer:
"They got to a few more loose balls than we did. They play really well at home. We tried to come back and had it for a little bit, and we just couldn't get enough stops at the end of the game, to get over the hump at the end. They played really well."
"We have eight games left... and a tough schedule coming up as well, starting tomorrow. For us, this is a game that we probably had to have. We let it slip away... We have to start playing a little bit better. We know for us to win it, first just to have a chance, we're going to have to win on the road so we can advance in the playoffs. We've got to find something."
